The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IN JUST his freshman season, sharpshooting swingman Stephen Strachan Jr has emerged as a leader for the Faulkner University Eagles, an NAIA powerhouse.

Through six games, Strachan has led the Eagles, nationally ranked at 13, in points and minutes while also posting some gaudy shooting numbers from the field. He is currently averaging 13.7 points in 29.2 minutes per game.

The 6’3” guard is also shooting 55 per cent from the field, 72 per cent from three point range and 90 per cent from the free throw line.

The Eagles lead the Southern States Athletic Conference with an undefeated 6-0 record.

In their latest outing, in a battle of unbeaten, nationally-ranked teams, the Eagles defeated No.22 ranked Martin Methodist, 72-63, on Saturday night.

Strachan led the way with 16 points as the Eagles ended the first half on a 10-0 run to take a 34-26 lead at intermission. They led by as much as 18 in the second half. It was the fourth game for the season where Strachan reached double figures.

In just the second game of his collegiate career, Strachan scored a season high 23 in a win over Pensacola Christian. He shot 8-13 from the field, including a blistering 4-5 from beyond the arch. He followed with 12 and 13 point performances against Point and Carver Bible respectively.

The Eagles will look to extend their winning streak to seven when they face Bethel University on November 22.

Following a stellar high school career, Strachan chose the Eagles following a lengthy recruiting process.

In his senior season with Potters House Christian in Jacksonville, Florida, he led Potters House to the Final Four of Florida’s Sunshine Independent Athletic Association.

Strachan averaged 18 points, four rebounds and two assists a game, while making 45 per cent of his 3-point shot attempts.

In the offseason, he was excited about joining a successful Eagles programme which won last year’s Southern States Athletic Conference tournament championship and earned an NAIA Sweet 16 tournament berth.

“The competition level is pretty tough. Everything is upbeat, everything is done at a quick pace. It’s a fast tempo, the coach wants everything done to perfection, which will help me because that’s the motivation I will need to keep pushing and keep getting better,” he said. “Coach [Jim] Sanderson is a real strict coach on the court.”

He participated in a summer basketball camp at Faulkner where he got an early opportunity to get accustomed to Sanderson and the Eagles’ system, which has paid immediate dividends.

“I think my game has grown a lot, especially my basketball IQ. The game is played at a higher level over there so you just have to stay engaged and work on your basketball IQ.

“You just have to watch a lot, study a lot and learn on and off the court. I worked on my weaknesses a lot, going left, having a quicker release and being able to finish in traffic,” he said. “I’m a shooter, a high scorer so I look to get better at that.”